Humidity

[BenE]

I recently got a digital hygrometer/temperature gauge and have been watching it over the last week. I live in Arkansas and this time of year it is sort of like a big swamp! The humidity level has been running between about 65% up to about 73%. I don’t think that can be too good for the mandolin. I thought about putting some of those desiccant packs in my case with the mandolin but then I started thinking that it is probably the drastic changes of humidity that affect the mandolin more than anything else. So if I get my mandolin in its case at the 50% humidity level and take it out to play in an 80% humidity environment I may be hurting it more in the long run. What to do? What do you guys suggest? I’m sure some of you southerners have run into the same problem. Any suggestions?

[Tom C]

I'd be more concerned if the humidity dropped too much. I find the humidity inside the case is always very close to the outside unless the case is closed for an extended period. Even in the winter when the humidity drops to 20%, It's not much different in the case at any given period of time.